The purpose of this NOFO is to solicit meritorious applications from universities with graduate degree programs in both mining and explosives engineering to develop and conduct research initiatives in automation, robotics, and intelligent mining systems to improve workplace safety and health in U.S. mining operations and to build on NIOSH’s work to address Congress mandates in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.
Donor Name: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/28/2023
Size of the Grant: $2,000,000
Grant Duration: 4 years
Details:
This research will contribute to the goal of eliminating mining fatalities within the next two decades. The impact of research conducted by recipients should focus on advances in assured autonomy, i.e., assuring autonomous mining equipment and robotics achieve improved workplace safety and health for mine workers while meeting efficiency and productivity goals. Impacts could include but are not limited to: Advances in and implementation of human-centered design principles for automated equipment and the systems used to monitor or interact with them. New methods, guidance, and best practices in change management, training/retraining workers, technology integration, and safety evaluation. New methods and evaluation techniques for safe design that consider the entire mining operation as a system. Advances and availability of enabling technologies for assured autonomy including sensors, data fusion and processing, artificial intelligence, and systems for improved machine and operator situational awareness. Availability of new miner rescue and post-disaster surveillance technologies.
Purpose
The purpose is to develop and conduct research initiatives in automation, robotics and intelligent mining systems to improve workplace safety and health in U.S. mining operations and that can contribute to the goal of completely eliminating mining fatalities within the next two decades.
A key factor of this announcement is the Congressional restriction placed on the funding which limits applications to U.S. universities with formal graduate degree programs in both mining and explosives engineering.
Approach
NIOSH organizes its research program under the framework of the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). NORA is a partnership program to stimulate innovative research and improved workplace practices. Unveiled in 1996, NORA entered its third decade (2016-2026) with an enhanced structure. It now consists of ten industry sectors based on major areas of the U.S. economy, and seven health and safety cross-sectors organized according to the major health and safety issues affecting the U.S. working population. The national agenda is developed and implemented through the NORA Sector and Cross-Sector Councils. Each council develops and maintains an Agenda for its sector or cross-sector. The collection of agendas comprises the agenda for the nation for improvements in occupational safety and health. The agenda also provides a vehicle for stakeholders to describe the most relevant safety and health issues, research gaps, and needs.
Protecting the health and safety of mine workers by preventing diseases, injuries, and fatalities is a NIOSH priority, along with making certain that workers are qualified, trained, and properly equipped. The NORA Mining Agenda was developed and implemented through NORA Sector Councils and is guidance for the nation as a whole, while the 2019-2023 Mining Program Strategic Plan is specific to NIOSH and its capabilities and resources.
The NIOSH Mining Program has established three overarching strategic goals for this plan:
- Strategic Goal 1: Reduce mine workers’ risk of occupational illness
- Strategic Goal 2: Reduce mine workers’ risk of traumatic injuries and fatalities
- Strategic Goal 3: Reduce the risk of mine disasters and improve post-disaster survivability of mine workers.
This is a collaborative grant and applicants should outline their expected interactions with NIOSH researchers and subject matter experts.
Objectives
The objective of this cooperative agreement is to address research initiatives in automation, robotics, and intelligent mining systems to improve workplace safety and health in U.S. mining operations.
The impact of research conducted by recipients should focus on advances in assured autonomy, i.e., assuring autonomous mining equipment and robotics achieve improved workplace safety and health for mine workers while meeting efficiency and productivity goals.
Interactions with mining stakeholders have shown that the U.S. industry is lagging behind other parts of the world in the implementation of automation technologies due to a lack of guidance in implementing new technology, questions about technology readiness, a lack of guidance and tools for effectively dealing with the migration from human-operated equipment to autonomous equipment, and concerns about the potential unsafe interactions between autonomous equipment and workers. Impacts could include but are not limited to:
- Advances in and implementation of human-centered design principles for automated equipment and the systems used to monitor or interact with them.
- New methods, guidance, and best practices in change management, training/retraining workers, technology integration, and safety evaluation.
- New methods and evaluation techniques for safe design that consider the entire mining operation as a system.
- Advances and availability of enabling technologies for assured autonomy including sensors, data fusion and processing, artificial intelligence, and systems for improved machine and operator situational awareness.
- Availability of new miner rescue and post-disaster surveillance technologies.
Applicants are encouraged to consider those aspects of their graduate degree program in mining and explosives engineering, including unique facilities, that could best support their proposed research related to automation, robotics, and intelligent mining systems.
Clearly state your proposed goals and objectives, and directly link these to the occupational health and safety burdens you are addressing.
Provide data to support your selection of the proposed work, such as morbidity or mortality rates and indicators of the size of the population at risk (including estimates of the target population’s potential risk of exposure to the hazard, frequency of exposure, or sociodemographic factors such as age, gender, and race/ethnicity). Similarly, provide qualitative data that describe exposures, the magnitude of the problem, and potential benefits and impacts of addressing the issue. Qualitative data may be necessary when the nature of the exposure or population at risk makes it difficult to collect large-scale, representative quantitative data.
Target Population
The beneficiaries of these cooperative agreements are miners working in the United States. As appropriate, the research project might target vulnerable U.S. worker populations to address increased safety and health risks associated with occupational health disparities, changing worker demographics, and the changing nature of work.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Funding Amount: $8,000,000
- Maximum Funding Amount: $2,000,000
- Minimum Funding Amount: $1,600,000
- Period of Performance: 4 years
Eligible Applicants
- Special district governments
- Independent school districts
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- State governments
- City or township governments
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
- For profit organizations other than small businesses
- County governments
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
- Small businesses
- Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
- Private institutions of higher education
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
